In view of the current corona wave in China, the German medical officers are calling for a Europe-wide test obligation for all travelers from the country. “In the event of an explosive spread, as is currently the case in China, you have to expect the virus to mutate,” said the chairman of the Federal Association of Public Health Physicians, Johannes Nießen, to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Tuesday editions).
Therefore, “a Europe-wide uniform protection concept” is now necessary. “Every traveler from China should be tested when entering the EU,” said Nießen. If the test result is positive, a PCR test must follow and the sample then sequenced. “Anyone who has become infected should definitely have to go into isolation,” said the chief medical officer.
China is currently experiencing the highest increase in Covid infections in the world, and hospitals are overcrowded in many places. In early December, Beijing backed away from its strict zero-Covid policy in a radical about-face. Since then, the corona restrictions have been significantly relaxed.
Several countries, including the USA and also European countries such as France, Spain and Great Britain, have already ordered a corona test for travelers from China. The federal government sees no need for action so far. The EU states want to discuss a common strategy on Wednesday.
